1966 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

American college football season

1966 Penn State Nittany Lions football

Conference| Independent
Record| 5–5
Head coach|

* Joe Paterno (1st season)

Offensive scheme| I formation
Defensive coordinator| Jim O'Hora (1st season)
Base defense| 4–3
Captains|

* Mike Irwin
* John Runnells

Home stadium| Beaver Stadium

Seasons

← 1965

1967 →

1966 NCAA University Division independents football records

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| Conf. |  |  | Overall

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Team | W |   | L |   | T |  |  | W |   | L |   | T
No. 1 Notre Dame |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 9  | – | 0  | – | 1
Colgate |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 8  | – | 1  | – | 1
No. 8 Georgia Tech |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 9  | – | 2  | – | 0
Army |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 8  | – | 2  | – | 0
Dayton |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 8  | – | 2  | – | 0
Houston |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 8  | – | 2  | – | 0
Memphis State |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 7  | – | 2  | – | 0
No. 9 Miami (FL) |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 8  | – | 2  | – | 1
Virginia Tech |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 8  | – | 2  | – | 1
Syracuse |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 8  | – | 3  | – | 0
Colorado State |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 7  | – | 3  | – | 0
New Mexico State |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 7  | – | 3  | – | 0
West Texas State |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 7  | – | 3  | – | 0
Villanova |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 6  | – | 3  | – | 0
Holy Cross |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 6  | – | 3  | – | 1
Southern Miss |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 6  | – | 4  | – | 0
Texas Western |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 6  | – | 4  | – | 0
Tulane |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 5  | – | 4  | – | 1
Florida State |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 6  | – | 5  | – | 0
Buffalo |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 5  | – | 5  | – | 0
Penn State |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 5  | – | 5  | – | 0
Air Force |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 4  | – | 6  | – | 0
Boston College |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 4  | – | 6  | – | 0
Navy |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 4  | – | 6  | – | 0
Utah State |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 4  | – | 6  | – | 0
Xavier |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 4  | – | 6  | – | 0
Pacific |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 4  | – | 7  | – | 0
San Jose State |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 3  | – | 7  | – | 0
Pittsburgh |   | – |   | – |   |  |  | 1  | – | 9  | – | 0
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1966 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented Penn State University during the 1966 NCAA University Division football season. It was Joe Paterno's first season as head coach of Penn State.

## Schedule

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Date| Opponent| Site| TV| Result| Attendance| Source

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September 17| Maryland|

* Beaver Stadium
* University Park, PA (rivalry)

| | W 15–7| 40,911| [1]
September 24| at No. 1 Michigan State|

* Spartan Stadium
* East Lansing, MI (rivalry)

| | L 8–42| 64,860| [2]
October 1| at Army|

* Michie Stadium
* West Point, NY

| | L 0–11| 18,000–31,112|
October 8| Boston College|

* Beaver Stadium
* University Park, PA

| | W 30–21| 30,924|
October 15| at No. 4 UCLA|

* Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
* Los Angeles, CA

| | L 11–49| 37,271|
October 22| at West Virginia|

* Mountaineer Field
* Morgantown, WV (rivalry)

| | W 38–6| 15,835–30,000| [3]
October 29| California|

* Beaver Stadium
* University Park, PA

| | W 33–15| 33,332|
November 5| Syracuse|

* Beaver Stadium
* University Park, PA (rivalry)

| ABC regional| L 10–12| 45,126|
November 12| at No. 5 Georgia Tech|

* Grant Field
* Atlanta, GA

| | L 0–21| 50,172| [4]
November 19| at Pittsburgh|

* Pitt Stadium
* Pittsburgh, PA (rivalry)

| | W 48–24| 30,467|

* Homecoming
* Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

## Game summaries

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### Maryland

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|  | 1 | 2| 3| 4| Total

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Maryland | 7 | 0| 0| 0 | 7
• Penn St | 11 | 0| 0| 4 | 15

* Date: September 17
* Location: Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania
* Game attendance: 40,911

| Scoring summary

Q1| | MD| Torain 15 yard run (Bramson kick)| MD 7–0
Q1| | PSU| Safety, Carlson forced out of end zone| MD 7–2
Q1| | PSU| White 2 yard run (pass failed)| PSU 8–7
Q1| | PSU| Sherman 23 yard field goal| PSU 11–7
Q4| | PSU| Safety, Pastrana tackled in end zone| PSU 13–7
Q4| | PSU| Safety, Petry illegal pass from end zone| PSU 15–7

[5]

### Michigan State

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This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (January 2014)

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### Army

[edit]

This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (January 2014)

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### Boston College

[edit]

This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (June 2014)

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### UCLA

[edit]

This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (June 2014)

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### West Virginia

[edit]

This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (June 2014)

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## Roster

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1966 Penn State Nittany Lions football team roster

Players  | Coaches
Offense | Pos. | # | Name | Class

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OT | `73` | Dave Bradley | So
OT | `77` | Rich Buzin | Jr
WR | `23` | Bob Campbell | So
C | `53` | Bill Lenkaitis | So
QB | `25` | Tom Sherman | Jr
Defense | Pos. | # | Name | Class

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DT | `79` | Mike McBath | Jr
Special teams | Pos. | # | Name | Class

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Head coach

* Joe Paterno

Coordinators/assistant coaches

* Earl Bruce
Freshman coach/Assistant varsity coach
* Joe McMullen
Offensive line
* Jim O'Hora
Defensive line/Overall defense
* Frank Patrick
Defensive backfield/Kickers
* Bob Phillips
Offensive ends
* Dan Radakovich
Linebackers
* George Welsh
Offensive backfield
* J. T. White
Defensive ends

* * *

Legend

* (C) Team captain
* (S) Suspended
* (I) Ineligible

* Injured
* Redshirt

## 1967 NFL/AFL draft

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Three Nittany Lions were drafted in the 1967 NFL/AFL draft.

Round | Pick | Overall | Name | Position | Team

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2nd | 27 | 53 | Dave Rowe | Defensive tackle | New Orleans Saints
10th | 20 | 257 | John Runnells | Linebacker | Boston Patriots
16th | 22 | 415 | Mike Irwin | Defensive back, running back | Buffalo Bills

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Penn State's 'safety blitz' ruins Maryland in opener". The Philadelphia Inquirer. September 18, 1966. Retrieved January 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
2. ^ Bob Hoerner (September 25, 1966). "Spartans Give Penn State Grid Lesson". Lansing State Journal. pp. F1, F3 – via Newspapers.com.
3. ^ "Nittany Lions handily defeat Mountaineers, 38–6". Beckley Post-Herald & The Raleigh Register. October 23, 1966. Retrieved January 20, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
4. ^ "Ga. Tech notches 9th straight, 21–0". Winston-Salem Journal and Sentinel. November 13, 1966. Retrieved July 24, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
5. ^ "Penn State Trips Terrapins, 15-7." Palm Beach Post. 1966 Sept 18. Retrieved 2014-Jan-14.

* v
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* e

Penn State Nittany Lions football

Venues|

* Old Main lawn (until 1891)
* Beaver Field (1892–1908)
* New Beaver Field (1909–1959)
* Beaver Stadium (1960–present)

Bowls & rivalries|

* Bowl games
* Alabama
* Maryland
* Michigan
* Michigan State
* Minnesota: Governor's Victory Bell
* Ohio State
* Old Ironsides
* Pittsburgh
* Syracuse
* West Virginia

Culture & lore|

* Nittany Lion
* "Fight On, State"
* Penn State Blue Band
* Uplifting Athletes
* Joe Paterno statue
* Something for Joey
* 1982 Nebraska game
* Child sex abuse scandal
* 2016 Ohio State game
* Paterno
* White Out
* 2021 Illinois game

People|

* Head coaches
* All-Americans
* NFL draftees
* Statistical leaders

Seasons|

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*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[Conf.]: Conference record
*[W]: Wins
*[L]: Losses
*[T]: Ties
*[No.]: Number